It’s an “exciting new era”
for the company says Jacobs
We are certainly in a period of industry consolidation,” says Neil Jacobs, CEO of wellness resort brand Six Senses. In February, InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) acquired Six Senses from Pegasus Capital Advisors for a reported US$300m (€267m, £229.5m). The sale included the management of 16 Six Senses hotels, 37 spas, and sister spa management companies Evason and Raison d’Etre. Jacobs says the deal “reinforces the IHG commitment to creating a very high-end portfolio of brands, and says to the markets that they care enough about wellness and sustainability to conclude the Six Senses acquisition, rather than another boutique brand.”
It was Six Senses’ focus on wellness and sustainability, along with its “impressive management team”, that IHG pointed to as reasons for the purchase. Jacobs, who’s been CEO since 2012 and who has a personal passion for spa, sustainability, design, food and experiential travel, is certainly a part of that team. He has more than three decades of experience in running and developing hotels and spas, including heading up the Spa Task Force at Four Seasons.
Wellness innovation Many of Jacobs’ passions are growing in importance – and increasingly overlapping – for today’s travellers. “As people become more conscious about their health, they’re more accepting of different modalities, including the spiritual and mindful, and become more curious each year as to the possibilities,” Jacobs explains. “What will keep [wellness] relevant is continued work around new initiatives, jumping feet-first into the lesser-known healing arts, and doing work to devise programming that is interesting and exciting for our customers.”
Those new initiatives and programmes are driven by a Wellness Innovation Group, headed up by Anna Bjurstam, vice president of spa and wellness for Six Senses. The group is charged with the ongoing creation of wellness content for the brand, which recently has included the launch of a Grow With Six Senses programme for children; a holistic anti-ageing concept at Six Senses Kaplankaya; the development of a jet lag app; and the Sleep With Six Senses (see SB18/2 p66) and Eat With Six Senses programmes, which address sleep health and nutrition, respectively.
Focus on ‘spa as spa’ Despite these broader wellness initiatives, spas remain at the heart of each Six Senses property, with every location offering signature treatments and therapies, plus locally inspired therapies, yogic programmes, and more traditional feel-good pampering. Therapists are drawn from all over the world, and visiting practitioners add an extra depth of knowledge.
But it’s the move to take wellness outside the spa, integrating it into the entire stay for guests, that has set Six Senses apart from the competition. “Spa is a big part of the wellness offering, but it’s not the only part, as we know,” says Jacobs. “We remain focused on ‘spa as spa’ to ensure that our spa offerings remain vibrant and relevant, and interface properly with all of our other content.”
Accelerated growth Jacobs says it’s ‘business as usual’ at Six Senses since the acquisition, though some restructuring may follow to deal with growth and the multiple new properties which are scheduled to launch in the next few years. These planned openings include a hideaway in Israel’s Negev Desert; the transformation of a series of 19th-century mansions in Istanbul; and the group’s first project in North America, a contemporary duo of twisting towers designed by inspirational architect Bjarke Ingels in New York . Additional projects are currently underway in Austria, Brazil, mainland China, Spain, Switzerland, Taiwan and Thailand.
In March – just after the acquisition – Six Senses opened two ambitious projects: Krabey Island in Cambodia, set on a private island near Ream National Park, which includes an expansive spa inspired by the sacred Khmer Kbal Spean River; and Six Senses Bhutan, which will include five lodges and a circuit of spas spread over the remote Himalayan kingdom.
“This is an exciting new era for Six Senses,” says Jacobs. “IHG believes in our purpose to merge the two platforms of wellness and sustainability to promote personal health, and the health of the planet. Joining forces with IHG means we can use a wealth of systems and operational excellence to grow our brand and reach new markets – without losing our quirky personality and playful touch.”
Six Senses is now expected to grow to 60 hotels within the next 10 years, as IHG plans to accelerate the brand’s growth globally. But with other major hotel groups jumping on the wellness bandwagon, whether with in-house offerings or buyouts, will the demand for wellness continue?
“There’s absolute certainty that wellness is here to stay,” says Jacobs. “The entire world is talking wellness. It means different things to different people, but it’s not going anywhere.”
Read more from this issue of Attractions Management magazine
View contents of Attractions Management 2019 issue 2
Promotional feature: Lemi - Italian Touch
From humble beginnings in a small Italian village, Lemi has grown a hugely successful global business in the massage bed market. As it celebrates its 30th anniversary year, we talk to GM Matteo Brusaferri
Spa Programmes: On the menu
Olivia Newton-John skincare, Sounds of Africa and jet lag butlers feature in our programming series
Interview: Dale Hipsh
The senior VP of hotels at Hard Rock International tells Katie Barnes why its music-centric spa menu is striking the right chord with consumers and the media
Promotional feature: ISPA
After almost three decades serving members and contributing to the growth of the industry, we talk to ISPA’s Crystal Ducker about the work of the association and the future of spa
Spa Design: Jungle VIP
Kim Megson ventures deep into Mexico’s jungle to discover how two Chablé resorts with Mayan spas are aiming to redefine wellness
Interview: John & Karina Stewart
The inspirational couple behind Kamalaya in Thailand talk to Neena Dhillon about emotional therapies, why stress-busting is the new detox and how they’re evolving the concept
Promotional feature: Gharieni - Luxury Recognition
Gharieni has long been known as an industry innovator. Now, Forbes Travel Guide has named the company as its official Spa & Wellness Equipment Manufacturer. Sammy Gharieni tells us more
Promotional feature: Comfort Zone - Beauty Reloaded
Skincare brand Comfort Zone has partnered with Wellness for Cancer to create a new programme of spa treatments for people touched by cancer. Barbara Gavazzoli tells us more
Family spa: Multi-story
With the rise in multi-generational tourism, family spas are growing in popularity. Jane Kitchen reports
Software: Training & education
From bespoke training programmes to 24/7 support teams and company super-users, how are software suppliers helping spas get the most out of their systems?
It’s an “exciting new era”
for the company says Jacobs
We are certainly in a period of industry consolidation,” says Neil Jacobs, CEO of wellness resort brand Six Senses. In February, InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) acquired Six Senses from Pegasus Capital Advisors for a reported US$300m (€267m, £229.5m). The sale included the management of 16 Six Senses hotels, 37 spas, and sister spa management companies Evason and Raison d’Etre. Jacobs says the deal “reinforces the IHG commitment to creating a very high-end portfolio of brands, and says to the markets that they care enough about wellness and sustainability to conclude the Six Senses acquisition, rather than another boutique brand.”
It was Six Senses’ focus on wellness and sustainability, along with its “impressive management team”, that IHG pointed to as reasons for the purchase. Jacobs, who’s been CEO since 2012 and who has a personal passion for spa, sustainability, design, food and experiential travel, is certainly a part of that team. He has more than three decades of experience in running and developing hotels and spas, including heading up the Spa Task Force at Four Seasons.
Wellness innovation Many of Jacobs’ passions are growing in importance – and increasingly overlapping – for today’s travellers. “As people become more conscious about their health, they’re more accepting of different modalities, including the spiritual and mindful, and become more curious each year as to the possibilities,” Jacobs explains. “What will keep [wellness] relevant is continued work around new initiatives, jumping feet-first into the lesser-known healing arts, and doing work to devise programming that is interesting and exciting for our customers.”
Those new initiatives and programmes are driven by a Wellness Innovation Group, headed up by Anna Bjurstam, vice president of spa and wellness for Six Senses. The group is charged with the ongoing creation of wellness content for the brand, which recently has included the launch of a Grow With Six Senses programme for children; a holistic anti-ageing concept at Six Senses Kaplankaya; the development of a jet lag app; and the Sleep With Six Senses (see SB18/2 p66) and Eat With Six Senses programmes, which address sleep health and nutrition, respectively.
Focus on ‘spa as spa’ Despite these broader wellness initiatives, spas remain at the heart of each Six Senses property, with every location offering signature treatments and therapies, plus locally inspired therapies, yogic programmes, and more traditional feel-good pampering. Therapists are drawn from all over the world, and visiting practitioners add an extra depth of knowledge.
But it’s the move to take wellness outside the spa, integrating it into the entire stay for guests, that has set Six Senses apart from the competition. “Spa is a big part of the wellness offering, but it’s not the only part, as we know,” says Jacobs. “We remain focused on ‘spa as spa’ to ensure that our spa offerings remain vibrant and relevant, and interface properly with all of our other content.”
Accelerated growth Jacobs says it’s ‘business as usual’ at Six Senses since the acquisition, though some restructuring may follow to deal with growth and the multiple new properties which are scheduled to launch in the next few years. These planned openings include a hideaway in Israel’s Negev Desert; the transformation of a series of 19th-century mansions in Istanbul; and the group’s first project in North America, a contemporary duo of twisting towers designed by inspirational architect Bjarke Ingels in New York . Additional projects are currently underway in Austria, Brazil, mainland China, Spain, Switzerland, Taiwan and Thailand.
In March – just after the acquisition – Six Senses opened two ambitious projects: Krabey Island in Cambodia, set on a private island near Ream National Park, which includes an expansive spa inspired by the sacred Khmer Kbal Spean River; and Six Senses Bhutan, which will include five lodges and a circuit of spas spread over the remote Himalayan kingdom.
“This is an exciting new era for Six Senses,” says Jacobs. “IHG believes in our purpose to merge the two platforms of wellness and sustainability to promote personal health, and the health of the planet. Joining forces with IHG means we can use a wealth of systems and operational excellence to grow our brand and reach new markets – without losing our quirky personality and playful touch.”
Six Senses is now expected to grow to 60 hotels within the next 10 years, as IHG plans to accelerate the brand’s growth globally. But with other major hotel groups jumping on the wellness bandwagon, whether with in-house offerings or buyouts, will the demand for wellness continue?
“There’s absolute certainty that wellness is here to stay,” says Jacobs. “The entire world is talking wellness. It means different things to different people, but it’s not going anywhere.”
Read more from this issue of Attractions Management magazine
View contents of Attractions Management 2019 issue 2
Promotional feature: Lemi - Italian Touch
From humble beginnings in a small Italian village, Lemi has grown a hugely successful global business in the massage bed market. As it celebrates its 30th anniversary year, we talk to GM Matteo Brusaferri
Spa Programmes: On the menu
Olivia Newton-John skincare, Sounds of Africa and jet lag butlers feature in our programming series
Interview: Dale Hipsh
The senior VP of hotels at Hard Rock International tells Katie Barnes why its music-centric spa menu is striking the right chord with consumers and the media
Promotional feature: ISPA
After almost three decades serving members and contributing to the growth of the industry, we talk to ISPA’s Crystal Ducker about the work of the association and the future of spa
Spa Design: Jungle VIP
Kim Megson ventures deep into Mexico’s jungle to discover how two Chablé resorts with Mayan spas are aiming to redefine wellness
Interview: John & Karina Stewart
The inspirational couple behind Kamalaya in Thailand talk to Neena Dhillon about emotional therapies, why stress-busting is the new detox and how they’re evolving the concept
Promotional feature: Gharieni - Luxury Recognition
Gharieni has long been known as an industry innovator. Now, Forbes Travel Guide has named the company as its official Spa & Wellness Equipment Manufacturer. Sammy Gharieni tells us more
Promotional feature: Comfort Zone - Beauty Reloaded
Skincare brand Comfort Zone has partnered with Wellness for Cancer to create a new programme of spa treatments for people touched by cancer. Barbara Gavazzoli tells us more
Family spa: Multi-story
With the rise in multi-generational tourism, family spas are growing in popularity. Jane Kitchen reports
Software: Training & education
From bespoke training programmes to 24/7 support teams and company super-users, how are software suppliers helping spas get the most out of their systems?
A US$50 million (£44.2 million, €51.2 million) transformation of Chicago's historic McCormick
Mansion has created a new destination that combines live magic, immersive theatre, dining and
private membership under one roof.
The Montana Historical Society has officially celebrated the opening of its new Montana
Heritage
Center, a US$107 million (£79 million, €92 million) destination that combines immersive
storytelling with cutting-edge audiovisual technology to bring the sta
San Antonio Zoo has reported a US$283 million economic impact for 2025, following a decade-
long transformation programme that has seen almost US$200 million invested into the Texas
attraction.
Plans for the AU$180 million redevelopment of Reef HQ Aquarium in Townsville, Australia, are
progressing, with the project set to transform the attraction into a global centre for reef
education and conservation.
Abu Dhabi-based investment firm Mubadala Capital has made a binding, fully financed
€1 billion
offer to acquire Pierre and Vacances SA, the European holiday resort operator behind the
continental European Center Parcs business.
Disney has reaffirmed its commitment to investing US$30 billion in its US parks and cruise
business by 2033, using new America250 celebrations to underline the role its attractions play
in supporting jobs, tourism and economic growth.
Expo 2030 Riyadh is being planned as a permanent visitor destination, with organisers
confirming the six-million-square-metre site will become a Global Village after the event closes.
The owner of one of Australia's best-known waterparks has acquired a major competitor,
creating a new attractions business spanning two of the country's largest visitor destinations.
The Toverland theme park in the Netherlands has announced a €98m expansion programme
that will add a resort, new attractions and staff facilities as it pursues plans to become a multi-
day destination.
Hotel de France, located on the British Isle of Jersey, has created a wellness retreat package
that includes a hot yoga session that will take place in Jersey Zoo’s butterfly sanctuary.
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